"No… it wasn't Barry. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here to see you."
"That idiot doesn't know how to be a villain. Right now, he's probably being chased around like a dog by Wesker."
"Serves him right for betraying us. Ha… but speaking of Wesker, this bullet here that's his doing…"
"That bastard… if I get the chance, I'll return the favor myself. Come on, we have to survive first."
With those last words to Wesker, Enrico's voice faded, his eyelids fluttering closed.
"Captain!"
Rebecca realized he was gone. Jill slammed her fist against the wall, gripping her katana and pointing it at Enrico's head. Her hand trembled slightly.
"Jill?" Rebecca blinked, startled.
"There are monsters everywhere here. You really want him to rise again? I doubt he would want that either." Jill's voice shook, and Rebecca turned, leaning against Mero's shoulder, unable to watch.
It was natural to care for someone's emotions. What if he had chosen to end his life?
Mero instinctively wrapped an arm around Rebecca. His hold was neither tight nor loose just right and he stroked her head gently.
Luckily, he had been raised by Ada; otherwise, he wouldn't know how to handle this kind of situation.
Bang!
A familiar gunshot echoed. A 9mm round, fired from a trembling chamber, struck true and pierced Enrico's head.
"Damn it!"
Jill leaned wearily against the wall. Wordlessly, she checked the chamber and magazine before pulling out a map, studying it meticulously.
The mysterious special operative and the reinforced doors had saved their lives. Outside, the disgusting Chimeras slammed their sharp claws against the metal barrier.
They didn't need to take this path anymore. Their destination had an elevator leading directly to the surface.
Ironically, their next enemy might not be the monsters, but humans.
Their captain, Wesker, had always been the best among them. That was why everyone willingly recognized him as the leader of the Alpha STARS team.
At this moment, Jill silently swore that when she saw that bastard again, she would make sure to take him down.
"So the traitor is Captain Wesker. I always thought he was cold on the outside but warm at heart." Rebecca sighed.
"He helped me so many times… I never thought he'd betray STARS and become Umbrella's pawn."
Jill paused. Her strongest impression of Wesker had always been efficiency. As a team leader, he was undeniably brilliant. But warm-hearted? Not exactly.
"Maybe… he only treated you that way. But he still sent you here," Mero said.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll understand when you grow up, Rebecca."
Mero checked their remaining ammunition and nodded.
"I'm not a child!" Rebecca snapped.
In the United States, 18 is the legal age of adulthood in most states, including Colorado, where Raccoon City is located. She had full civil rights: voting, signing contracts, independent medical decisions, and being tried as an adult.
She had every reason to be proud that she wasn't a child.
But… she still looked small.
Glancing at Jill beside her, a wave of self-consciousness washed over her, and she lowered her head.
"I take care of the virus. You blow your captain's head off. That's it."
Mero weighed the Smith & Wesson in his hand and glanced back at the Chimeras battering the door. Even with their sharp claws, they couldn't breach the reinforced steel.
More Chimeras were pounding the doors, trying to kill everyone inside.
Without hesitation, the three charged toward the core laboratory.
Several human-shaped green lizard bioweapons noticed them and lunged with deadly claws.
Mero ran, carrying Rebecca, with Jill hoisted on his back. His gun was trained forward and backward as they ran.
The bioweapons hit what seemed like a wall of air. One by one, they were blasted apart midair, their bodies shredded.
In that brief moment, Mero collected more combat data. After the gunfire ceased, five corpses littered the floor.
Their teamwork had developed a rhythm. Together, they were like a mobile fortress, rampaging through the underground lab.
When they finally reached the lab, the sound of precise keyboard typing echoed from a nearby terminal.
Then, crisp applause followed.
A man in a black tactical vest appeared, stepping into their view.
A Caucasian man, platinum blond hair slicked back, lean but muscular, exuding raw power. His posture was straight, his presence overwhelming.
Alongside him, handguns were aimed at them.
"So it's you, Albert," Mero said softly, locking eyes with the man behind the sunglasses.
Albert Wesker frowned slightly. Calm? Impossible.
He had injected himself with the progenitor virus variant, but had not gained superhuman strength.
"Your heart is racing, Albert," Mero remarked.
"That heartbeat… it's the nervous kind!"
A faint sneer curved Mero's lips.
"Dr. Marcus also called Mero 'Wesker'!" Rebecca exclaimed.
Mero paused. Not now. They had been moving from the cadre training center to the mansion for hours. How was she only realizing this now?
Albert Wesker smirked, adjusting his sunglasses with his middle finger. Finally, a moment where Mero wasn't speaking to him. It felt like being fully read, which he hated.
"Don't misunderstand, Rebecca."
"As children adopted by Umbrella, we were given the Wesker surname," he explained.
"But that's all. There's no blood relation between us."
"Wesker! Barry isn't here?" Jill's voice remained calm. She had learned to control her emotions after prolonged battles and threats. Her body and mind were at their limits.
Wesker shook his head. "Barry? Still upset with him? Don't blame him.
If he doesn't cooperate, his partner and two lovely daughters won't survive."
"Wesker, you despicable man!" Jill gritted her teeth.
She had warned Barry not to flaunt his perfect family. Now, their lives had become leverage.
"Don't worry, darling. You'll all be free soon enough." Wesker said casually.
"Why destroy STARS?"
"Believe it or not, it's Umbrella's orders."
"You're nothing but Umbrella's slave!"
"Smart girl. But I think you've misunderstood me."